July 2

Lake Wateree is at 97.6% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 89 degrees.  The lake is basically clear by Wateree standards. 

Very high water temperatures continue to move crappie deeper on Lake Wateree, and tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that now he is mainly looking for fish in 27-30 feet of water in the river channel. Most of the fish are near the bottom but with a thermocline developing they are usually staying a couple of feet off of it. There are still a few fish shallower in about 18 feet, but these are almost all small fish. Basically all of the fish are related to some sort of structure and especially brush. 

Unfortunately the crappie have gotten extremely sluggish and you have to be patient with them. The better action is early and very late, and boat traffic is definitely not helping. But whether you are casting jigs or fishing minnows vertically don’t expect the action to be fast any time. Will is mostly fishing with Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color. 

It’s hot and the black bass fishing isn’t easy on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that there was a 20-pound bag caught in the most recent tournament.  He’s not sure how those fish were caught, but basically the two options right now are to fish the offshore ledges and structure with crankbaits, jigs and worms or to target shallower fish. Those could be around docks feeding on bream or they could be in the oxygenated water near the grass that also holds forage like crawfish, baitfish, and more. 

As more big catfish come off the spawn on the Catawba chain lakes it’s a better time to catch big fish again, but Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that it’s also still a great time to catch juvenile blue catfish on Wateree. The best pattern is drifting shallow flats in 6-15 feet, and you can expect to run into more large females trying to feed and recover than a couple of weeks ago. Shad and white perch are both good bait choices. 

June 26

Lake Wateree is at 97.8% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures have hit the mid-80s or higher. 

As water temperatures have spiked crappie are moving deeper on Lake Wateree, and tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that now he is looking for them in 20-27 feet of water on the main lake. This is the time and temperature when fish pile up on brush in the river channel, and despite the heat when they first move into this depth it is usually a very strong bite. Current generation often helps the action by providing more oxygen and stimulating the fish to feed better. 

Both minnows and jigs will catch fish. 

As more big catfish come off the spawn on the Catawba chain lakes it’s a better time to catch big fish again, but Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that it’s also still a great time to catch juvenile blue catfish on Wateree. The best pattern is drifting shallow flats in 6-15 feet, and you can expect to run into more large females trying to feed and recover than a couple of weeks ago. Shad and white perch are both good bait choices. 

Bass report to follow. 

June 18

Lake Wateree is at 97.6% of full pool and there is some muddy water on the upper end but the lower end is fairly clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 80-81 degrees.

The crappie really haven’t moved much this week on Lake Wateree, and tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that it’s still only outlier and smaller fish that seem to have gone deep. The bulk of the better fish are still on main lake brush in 12-18 feet of water towards the river channel. They continue to suspend about mid-way down at whatever depth they are holding. 

The water color probably has something to do with this, because on many area lakes that are clearer crappie have gone deeper – Will notes the contrast between the clear section of Greenwood he was fishing Saturday and Wateree the last few days.

Both minnows and jigs are catching fish. 

While it’s still not a great time to catch big catfish on Wateree – and many South Carolina lakes – as the spawn is at hand, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that with an incredible population of blue cats Lake Wateree may be one of the best places to catch fish. Namely, juvenile blue catfish are plentiful drifting shallow flats in 6-15 feet – with occasional larger blue cats in the same areas. Shad and white perch are both good bait choices. 

Finally, the black bass fishing has gotten tougher this week, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that’s particularly true of the offshore bite. It’s normal for the action to slow when the fish have been out there for a little while, whether because of the heat, fishing pressure, other factors, or some combination. Still, it’s worth fishing around ledges and offshore structure – but a more finesse-oriented approach such as a shaky head may generate more bites than power fishing.

Dearal probably has the most confidence fishing around grass and docks right now, whether throwing a spinnerbait around the grass or flipping a craw around docks. Early a frog can also be productive around grass. 

June 11

Lake Wateree is at 97.8% of full pool and there is a bit of color up the lake but the mid-lake down is pretty clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 79-80 degrees.

The crappie are getting slightly deeper on Lake Wateree, and tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that he has caught a few decent fish out as deep as 27 feet. At the same time there are small eating-sized crappie on most brush in the lake, but the bulk of the better fish are still on main lake brush in 12-18 feet of water towards the river channel. They continue to suspend about mid-way down at whatever depth they are holding. 

While minnows will catch fish Will is having the best success with Fish Stalker jigs in Ugly Green. 

The black bass may be settling into a bit of a summer pattern on Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that some good catches are coming shallow while others are coming deep. Fish aren’t jumping in the boat but they can be caught.

In the previous tournament deep fish carried the day, and fishing a jig, crankbait and worm around deeper ledges was the best pattern. But Dearal has also had success fishing shallow, particularly around the grass. Docks have also been good, and grass near docks has been some of the best. He has been fishing a spinnerbait around docks and flipping a craw. 

While it’s not a great time to catch big catfish most anywhere in the state as the spawn heats up, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that with an incredible population of blue cats Lake Wateree may be one of the best places to catch fish. Namely, juvenile blue catfish are plentiful drifting shallow flats in 6-15 feet with occasional larger blue cats in the same areas. Shad and white perch are both good bait choices. 

May 29

Lake Wateree is at 97.2% of full pool and the upper lake is muddy but the middle down is clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are back down to about 77 degrees.

Last week we said that spiking water temperatures hadn’t changed crappie patterns very much, and this week tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that dropping temperatures also haven’t moved the fish.  The majority of them are still on main lake brush in 12-18 feet of water, towards the river channel, and they are almost uniformly suspended about mid-way down at whatever depth they are holding. A few fish have moved onto deeper brush but still not many.

While minnows will catch fish Will is having the best success with Fish Stalker jigs in Ugly Green. 

The black bass fishing on Wateree continues to be in a transition period, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that fish are still spread out as they can be in a lot of different places with mild temperatures.  There is still the tail end of a shad spawn bite early in certain spots, and around grass a spinnerbait is working pretty well. In the morning you can fish topwater lures around points, and docks are also holding fish. They are still biting soft plastics better than jigs and a Texas rig or shaky head has been best. There was also a bream bed bite on this last new moon.

But in a sign of which direction things are headed, more fish are getting on offshore brush or ledges, where a crankbait and jig have been most effective. 

Once the whole water column heats up then the shallower patterns will change, and even shallow fish will usually at least want to be near deep water, but for now fish are pretty comfortable in a variety of locations.   

Our family is travelling for our annual beach vacation next week, but we will resume weekly fishing reports the following week.   

May 21

Lake Wateree is at 97.5% of full pool and at least from June Creek to the dam is clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are up to 80 degrees.

Even as the water temperatures have shot up, tournamentangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the crappie haven’t changed patterns very much from last week. The majority of the fish are still on main lake brush in 12-18 feet of water, towards the river channel, and they are almost uniformly suspended about mid-way down at whatever depth they are holding. A few fish have moved onto deeper brush but not many.

While minnows will catch fish Will is having the best success with Fish Stalker jigs in Ugly Green. 

The black bass fishing on Wateree has improved a little this week, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that most anglers in the last CATT weighed fish and 18 pounds won. With temperatures transitioning between spring and summer fish are spread out as they can be in a lot of different places, and so naturally there are a lot of ways to catch them. There is still a shad spawn bite in certain places, and around grass a spinnerbait is working pretty well. In the morning you can fish topwater lures around points, and docks are also holding fish. They are biting soft plastics better than jigs and a Texas rig or shaky head has been best. And the biggest change is that more fish are getting on offshore brush or ledges, where a crankbait and jig have been most effective. 

Once the whole water column heats up then the shallower patterns will change, and most shallow fish will at least want to be near deep water, but for now fish are pretty comfortable in a variety of places. 

May 15

Lake Wateree is at 96.8% of full pool and as of yesterday the middle to lower lake was clear but there should be some mud coming down from the river.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 degrees.

There’s very little change with the Lake Wateree crappie, buttournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that if there is a lot of current coming down the lake it could push the crappie to the bottom. Additionally, while he has been having better luck with more natural colors like Glimmer Blue, brighter color jigs could get better again if the lake gets more stained. 

Beyond that, most of the fish are still on main lake brush. There are some schools of smaller fish on brush in the mouths of creeks, and a very few just swimming around in open water. But the bigger fish are moving towards the river channel onto cover in 12-18 feet, and they are all suspending above it. 

Fish will be on brush for months, but they will gradually move deeper as it gets hotter. 

The black bass fishing on Wateree is still a little tough, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it only took about 15 pounds in the CATT tournament Saturday. It’s just an in-between period where fish haven’t really moved into summer patterns and out of the post-spawn malaise. 

It’s still worth looking for a shad spawn but it hasn’t been great this year on Wateree, and it’s also a good idea to check for bass around any spawning bream and shellcracker. But probably the best way to catch bass is just junk fishing around docks or anything else that looks like it might hold fish.   

When water temperatures warm a few more degrees more fish should start to move offshore, but there are no signs of a good offshore bite yet. 

May 7

Lake Wateree is at 96.8% of full pool and up the lake is slightly stained but the lower lake is pretty clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 71-72 degrees. 

By now most of the Lake Wateree crappie have moved onto brush, andtournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that only a few fish are still floating around suspended in open water. There are some schools of smaller fish on brush in the mouths of creeks, and Will caught 40 fish in short order at the mouth of Colonel Creek in around 12 feet this week. But the bigger fish are moving towards the river channel onto cover in 12-18 feet, and they are all suspending above it. The water temperature hasn’t changed and so Will suspects boat traffic is moving them as much as anything. Fish Stalker jigs in ugly green and glimmer blue have both been working well.  

Fish will be on brush for months, but they will gradually move deeper as it gets hotter.

 

The black bass fishing on Wateree is still a little tough, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that he suspects that at least one more big wave of fish will spawn on the May 12 full moon. Additionally, bream and shellcracker bedding will keep numbers of bass shallow, even while some post-spawn fish are starting to move out deeper. Both shallow and deep a shaky head can be tough to beat for finicky fish. Overall you can fish about anywhere you want, but for Dearal there is still nothing easy. 

While it may be the the best thing going even the shad spawn hasn’t been great for him so far, but it’s definitely worth looking for. Shad can be around anything on the bank including rocks and docks – grass isn’t as prevalent as usual as it comes back after low water levels. White jig, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits can be used to entice bass feeding on spawning shad. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) is still a little surprised they haven’t seen more very large fish so far but still reports that lots of 8-12 pound blue catfish can still be caught basically on the cut bait of your choice. The action is excellent for numbers of fish in warm, shallow bays, with 3-6 feet of water the ideal depth. Additionally, it’s still worth trying for a big bite in the Cedar Creek section up the lake by anchoring early. 

April 30

Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool and up the lake is slightly stained but the lower lake is pretty clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 71-72 degrees. 

What a difference a week makes! Before Easter tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reported a pretty good crappiebite, then last week it was really tough with the majority of the fish in a post-spawn funk, but this week the action has gotten much better. By now bigger fish aren’t just roaming and are instead stacking up on brush, and he is finding the best action on main lake brush all over the lake in 12-18 feet of water. The fish are generally suspended over it 6-8 or so feet down, whereas white perch are on the bottom in the same areas. There are also a few crappie in the in the mouths of creeks on structure, but they are generally smaller. There are even some smaller crappie that have yet to spawn, but they are on the main lake and (if they do spawn – some reabsorb their eggs) will spawn on stumps or debris on the bottom around islands and humps.

Fish Stalker jigs in ugly green and glimmer blue have both been working well.  

As much as he has been on the water this spring tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden has yet to see a black basson a bed, and he wonders if something with water levels had them spawning deeper this year.  That makes it hard to speculate where in the spawn they are, but regardless he suspects that it is still going on while other fish are post-spawn. 

Bream and shellcracker are also starting to bed and that will keep numbers of bass shallow, but Dearal also thinks there are some post-spawn fish starting to move out deeper. Both shallow and deep a shaky head can be tough to beat for finicky fish. Overall you can fish about anywhere you want, but for Dearal nothing has been easy the last couple of weeks.  

In that vein the shad spawn hasn’t been explosive for him so far, but the best pattern going should be targeting bass that are eating shad. Shad can be around anything on the bank including rocks and docks – grass isn’t as prevalent as usual as it comes back after low water levels. White jig, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits can be used to entice bass feeding on spawning shad. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) is still a little surprised they haven’t seen more very large fish so far but still reports that lots of 8-12 pound blue catfish can still be caught basically on the cut bait of your choice. The action is excellent for numbers of fish in warm, shallow bays, with 3-6 feet of water the ideal depth. Additionally, it’s still worth trying for a big bite in the Cedar Creek section up the lake by anchoring early. 

April 23

Lake Wateree is at 97.2% of full pool and there is a little color up the lake but down the lake is pretty clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 66-68 degrees. 

The crappie bite has slowed way down on Lake Wateree, andveteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are basically in a post-spawn funk. He expects that it will be about another week until the fishing gets good again. 

There are now decent numbers of smaller fish on main lake brush in 10-12 feet of water, and you can usually catch three or four before you have to move to another piece of cover. But they aren’t on everything so even that is hit-or-miss. The bigger fish are generally wandering in open water, although a few of them are starting to set up on brush in 17-20 feet. But again, they are not feeding well.

Fish Stalker jigs in glimmer blue have been working as well as anything.

Will notes that they are still catching a very few fish with eggs but they are smaller crappie. 

The black bass fishing has also been tough, although tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden suspects that it’s for a completely different reason. He thinks that significant numbers of fish seem to be focused on spawning, and even though they are hard to spot on beds it has only been by really slowing down that he has been able to catch them.  Just going down the bank or fishing docks with a shaky head has been a decent pattern.

The other main pattern right now is targeting bass that are on the shad spawn, even though it has been a little hit-or-miss recently. Shad can be around anything on the bank including rocks and docks – grass isn’t as prevalent as usual as it comes back after low water levels. The last tournament was apparently won with a white jig around docks, and spinnerbaits and buzzbaits can also be used to entice bass feeding on spawning shad. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) is a little surprised they haven’t seen more very large fish so far but still reports that lots of 8-12 pound blue catfish can still be caught basically on the cut bait of your choice. The action is excellent for numbers of fish in warm, shallow bays, with 3-6 feet of water the ideal depth. Additionally, it’s still worth trying for a big bite in the Cedar Creek section up the lake by anchoring early. 

April 10

Lake Wateree is up to 97.8% of full pool and after more rain the lower lake is stained and the water gradually transitions to muddy up the lake.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 66 degrees. 

It’s a good and bad period for crappie fishing on Lake Wateree, andveteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the good part is that fish can be found about anywhere from the backs of creeks to deep on the main lake. That’s also the bad part, because with fish so scattered it can take some work to locate groups. 

There are a few fish still spawning, although not many, and these can be caught shallow with traditional spring-time fishing methods. There are also a decent number of post-spawn fish that are still hanging in the shallows, and yesterday while we talked Will was looking at a big school in 13 feet of water. But then there are other groups on the main lake that are 17-20 feet down in 30 feet of water. 

Overall fish that aren’t on the banks are mostly just roaming now, and only a few have set up on brush. Soon they will stack up on brush and be easier to locate, but for now unless you want to fish for stragglers around the bank the name of the game is fishing your favorite open water technique and covering water. 

The CATT tournament this weekend was much tougher, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it only took about 16 pounds of black bass for the win. Pretty much everybody reported that it was hard to get bites, and even though they didn’t see many fish on the beds (water clarity is far from perfect) it seems likely that a bunch of fish were spawning. Others are coming off the beds, and all that can make for a tough bite. Another wave of fish should be up spawning this weekend, and Dearal advises down-sizing your baits and fishing slow and shallow. Fortunately a topwater bite should be coming as fish recover from the spawn and start to feed better. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that lots of 8-12 pound blue catfish can still be caught basically on the cut bait of your choice. The action is excellent for numbers of fish in warm, shallow bays, with 3-6 feet of water the ideal depth. Additionally, more and more fish are moving into the Cedar Creek section up the lake which should start to produce some big fish as temperatures rise and both bait and catfish head up that way. It’s a great place to start out the day anchoring and looking for a big bite.

Our family is travelling for our children’s spring break next week, but we will resume weekly fishing reports after the Easter holiday. 

April 3

Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool and the lower lake is stained while up the lake is muddy.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees. 

With most of the lake at 65 degrees or better, and daytime temperatures approaching 70 at times,veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that about half of the female crappie on Lake Wateree have already laid eggs and he expects most of the remaining fish to do so by next week. Right now you can catch fish about any way you want, and with tons of males on the banks and fish aggressive throwing jigs or minnows under a cork at shallow cover is a good pattern. You can also long-line troll or tight-line. 

Will has mostly been looking at fish on electronics (when possible with the pollen) and casting at them, and in 18-25 feet of water he is finding schools of pre-spawn and post-spawn fish mixed together.  Most of these are in the creeks or at the creek mouths, and there isn’t much activity back on the main lake yet. Fish Stalker minnows in Mountain Dew color have been his most productive bait. 

About the only way he isn’t catching fish is on brush or wood, and the few fish he has marked on stumps have been small fish. But soon that’s coming. 

In the CATT tournament this weekend tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that they tried to keep fishing for the group of deeper pre-spawn black bass they were targeting last week, and while they did catch some fish it was clear that the vast majority of the fish had gone shallower. The bulk of the bass are now spawning or very close to it, on either side, and spawning flats, docks in the backs, and shallow cover are the best places to look for fish. Flipping soft plastics is the best way to target many of them, although a spinnerbait can also work in areas with some color. It’s also worth throwing a buzzbait. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that lots of 8-12 pound blue catfish can be caught basically on the cut bait of your choice. The action is excellent for numbers of fish in warm, shallow bays, with 3-6 feet of water the ideal depth. Additionally, more and more fish are moving into the Cedar Creek section up the lake which should start to produce some big fish as temperatures rise and both bait and catfish head up that way. It’s a great place to start out the day anchoring and looking for a big bite.